1 ‘ REVIEW BY SECTIONS.
2 PUNJAB MINES.
3 Norpur sales slightly
4 larger.
5 Salt warehoused for retail
6 sale,
7 Through-traffic receipts
8 and expenditure,
9 Indus Preventive Line,
10 Cost of maintaining.
11 €
12 REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NORTHERN INDIA
13 increase, and more, of the trade of the depdt, has been in the
14 -rail-borne consignments. The quantity sent to Multan alone
15 from the Kalabagh Depdt by railway was maunds 59,599 in
16 1895.96, and maunds 32,555 in 1894-95, while that which was
17 consigned by river (once the best and cheapest mode of transit)
18 was only maunds 65 and maunds 696, respectively. The Indus
19 river salt traffic has therefore been broken up by the opening
20 of the Kundian-Mari branch of the Sind-Sagar Railway. But
21 the Jhelum river trade, from the Khewra Depdt to Multan, still
22 struggles on, and amounted in 1895-96 to-maunds 7,58]. A
23 small reduction in the freight charged from Mari to Multan
24 would probably extinguish this trade also, fer Kalabagh salt,
25 owing to its excellent quality and colour, is certainly the
26 favourite salt in the Multan market. The Nurpur Mine merely
27 supplies local wants in the immediate neighbourhood. The
28 sales are slightly larger than they were in 1894-95, but they
29 only average about 4,500 maunds annually.
30 Maunds 19,605 of salt were warehoused for retail sale
31 within the protected area of the salt range in 1895-96, against
32 maunds 18,729, and maunds 19,239, in the two preceding years.
33 The protected area contains 232 vi'lages and hamlets, and a
34 population of 2,91,852 people. Only licensed vendors sell salt
35 within the protected area, and there are at present 586 of these
36 vendors.
37 21. The following statement shows the through-traffic re-
38 ceipts and expenditure at the Warthganj Depét for the past
39 two years :-—
40 1894-95. 1895-96,
41 Bs, Rs.
42 Receipts. ons we bag one 51,752 60,495
43 Expenditure ... hee ave sea cus 37,110 45,876
44 Profit Se 14,642 14,619
45 The receipts are derived from a charge of 6 pies per maund
46 paid. by all traders, who indent for salt to be filled and consigned
47 to them by Departmental agency. The expeniliture is that
48 incurred in performing this duty. The outlay amounted to 4:79
49 pies per maund as compared with 4°63 pies per maund expended
50 in the previous year. The total profit on the year’s operations
51 amounted to Rs. 14,619 against Rs. 14,642 in 1894-95.
52 22. The cost of the Indus Preventive Line, maintained to
53 confine the use of Kobat salt to the territories across, or on the
54 right bank of the Indus, is shown for the past two years in the
55 following statement —.
56 pi, a,
57 Year. nied Contingencies. Total.
58 a —_—_—— ee
59 Rs. Rs, Rs,
60 1894-95 mee ay <a 42,571 4,523 47,094
61 1895-96 oon eo aoe 43,561 5,200 48,761
62 The total cost has risen from Rs. 47,094 in 1894-95 to
63 Rs. 48,761 in 1895-96, of which the increase in the fixed
64 charges amounts to Rs. 990, and in contingencies to Rs. 677,
65 The former increase is due to the grant and payment of
66 exchange compensation allowance to Superintendents, and the.
67 ( 4}